T
taranjit
I am currently living with both BAV and Bodybuilding, and to whom the idea of living without BOTH of them also does not sound too appealing... I mean, I know surgery could correct BAV but I have been told that I should forget competitive bodybuilding from now on... Please don't get me wrong - I very well respect the value of life and I know this beautiful life has a lot more to offer than just bodybuilding, but it surely is my passion... and I could not see myself happier to live with bodybuilding and without abnormal valve...
I am 33, and a competitive bodybuilder... In fact I started bodybuilding at the age of 27 until when I was a recreational marathon runner... Just when I decided to stop distance running and start bodybuilding to realize my childhood dream in 1996, in a routine checkup I was told by my doctor that I had a congenital BAV... and that I should do activities like running, etc rather than bodybuilding... But just 2 weeks of weight-training at that point had given me such a wonderful feeling that I decided to continue anyway.. then I grew from a skinny marathon runner to a brawny bodybuilder.... All along these 6 years my heart's function remained more or less the same (i.e. moderate reggurgitation, E.F. 60%+, L.V. (sys) ~ 5cm-5.5cm, L.V. (dys) ~4cm)... I did worsened although very slowly... Last December, (2001) the results were worsened to E.F. 56%, L.V. (sys) ~ 5.7, L.V. (dys) ~4.5cm... and even worse when I was preparing for a contest this summer in July'02 to E.F. <50%, L.V. (sys) 6.7cm, L.V. (dys) ~5cm... that was alarming and since then I have been on the watch list for surgery... Since I had worked so hard to compete, doctor let me continue at that time... I won one regional show and then in US Nationals qualifier, missed to qualify to compete in US nationals by just one spot in the most competitive class... Just when I was finally starting to realize my dreams I was told to stop altogether or do very little... Then for last 3 months, I took time off from training (not completely but quite a bit), and even took some herbal formulae along with getting it monitored by my cardiologist.... And last month I got echo again and numbers were somewhat better: E.F. ~55%+, L.V. (sys) ~ 5.8cm, L.V. (dys) <4.5cm.. that was done overseas.. My cardiologist here in US has agreed (on my request) to wait for a couple more months before heart catherization that he wanted to do... The results seems to have gotten better?? I had taken a lot of ephedrine/caffine during contest time and stressed my body really hard... I am not taking it now.. or that I am not working out as hard.. or may be these herbs are working to some extent... may be this improvement is a machine error/fluctuation.. or may be these results are correct but temporary... Whatever it is, I do realize that I am a few months to a year or so away from a valve replacement surgery... With this background, I wanted to know from you the following:
(1) I would love to keep bodybuilding and keep competing, if not before surgery, definitely after surgery... Please share your opinion... I know 95% of the responses would be negative... Although I would like to hear from all, but I am hoping to hear from someone who has been able to compete after the ordeal...
I thought of several other questions before, but this pretty much is the only real one... Once thru this, I will ask the other ones later...
thanks a lot everyone
Taranjit Singh
2002 Mr Monterey Bay, California
"I love bodybuilding - so much that I honestly fear the idea that it might be taken away from me one day."
I am 33, and a competitive bodybuilder... In fact I started bodybuilding at the age of 27 until when I was a recreational marathon runner... Just when I decided to stop distance running and start bodybuilding to realize my childhood dream in 1996, in a routine checkup I was told by my doctor that I had a congenital BAV... and that I should do activities like running, etc rather than bodybuilding... But just 2 weeks of weight-training at that point had given me such a wonderful feeling that I decided to continue anyway.. then I grew from a skinny marathon runner to a brawny bodybuilder.... All along these 6 years my heart's function remained more or less the same (i.e. moderate reggurgitation, E.F. 60%+, L.V. (sys) ~ 5cm-5.5cm, L.V. (dys) ~4cm)... I did worsened although very slowly... Last December, (2001) the results were worsened to E.F. 56%, L.V. (sys) ~ 5.7, L.V. (dys) ~4.5cm... and even worse when I was preparing for a contest this summer in July'02 to E.F. <50%, L.V. (sys) 6.7cm, L.V. (dys) ~5cm... that was alarming and since then I have been on the watch list for surgery... Since I had worked so hard to compete, doctor let me continue at that time... I won one regional show and then in US Nationals qualifier, missed to qualify to compete in US nationals by just one spot in the most competitive class... Just when I was finally starting to realize my dreams I was told to stop altogether or do very little... Then for last 3 months, I took time off from training (not completely but quite a bit), and even took some herbal formulae along with getting it monitored by my cardiologist.... And last month I got echo again and numbers were somewhat better: E.F. ~55%+, L.V. (sys) ~ 5.8cm, L.V. (dys) <4.5cm.. that was done overseas.. My cardiologist here in US has agreed (on my request) to wait for a couple more months before heart catherization that he wanted to do... The results seems to have gotten better?? I had taken a lot of ephedrine/caffine during contest time and stressed my body really hard... I am not taking it now.. or that I am not working out as hard.. or may be these herbs are working to some extent... may be this improvement is a machine error/fluctuation.. or may be these results are correct but temporary... Whatever it is, I do realize that I am a few months to a year or so away from a valve replacement surgery... With this background, I wanted to know from you the following:
(1) I would love to keep bodybuilding and keep competing, if not before surgery, definitely after surgery... Please share your opinion... I know 95% of the responses would be negative... Although I would like to hear from all, but I am hoping to hear from someone who has been able to compete after the ordeal...
I thought of several other questions before, but this pretty much is the only real one... Once thru this, I will ask the other ones later...
thanks a lot everyone
Taranjit Singh
2002 Mr Monterey Bay, California
"I love bodybuilding - so much that I honestly fear the idea that it might be taken away from me one day."