RV Traveler HEART ATTACK… What you may wish to consider IN ADVANCE — and when it occurs…
I’m in Saratoga Wyoming – ACTIVELY recovering. For me that means Biking, Walking, Kayaking – and of course soaking in the world famous (110F) HOT springs here
Well, it happened again. And, there IS some concerning plaque in my arteries. I detail all this in my video below. I’m not going to dwell on it in my written post below as there’s LOT’s of good stuff going on here in Saratoga while I “rest and relax.” But… I will say this… I FULLY intend to continue living life to its fullest and feel NO limits on my physical abilities (beyond respecting that I’m about to turn 68!)
Saratoga Lake Campground
This is one of those places where it is helpful to have an 80 gallon fresh water tank! And of course, showers at the hot springs in town – thus allowing me to minimize my water use at the campsite. Saratoga Lake provides electric for $25. per night just outside of town. Its up to you to hold your water and fluids. I’m staying 3 weeks which is just about my limit before I need to dump my camper’s tanks.
The Lake
A great place to paddle – well, sort of. At 7300 ft elevation in the Platte Valley, its a breezy place, so I have to be selective when I go out to paddle in my inflatable kayak. But there HAVE been a few good days. When I’m not paddling, I ride my trike. Generally about 4 miles (on gravel roads) – its a good workout and takes me about a half-hour which I figure is great for my circulation.
Mirror Lake
Just 40 minutes up the Snowy Mountains sits Mirror Lake. In my video, I have a couple of spectacular panoramas of the area – made even more special by a recent (late May) blizzard with extensive snowbanks remaining on June 23rd! (And, yeah, the water was COLD.)
I was a bit apprehensive about paddling at 10,000 ft. elevation given what happened recently, but after 35 minutes of paddling (with moderate winds), I was still fine – not winded or gasping for air or anything! AND… for most of my time there, I was the only person at or in the lake!
After a great paddling session, I descended to Laramie to get some quality food at the Big Hollow Food Co-op and the Farmstand on 3rd St. The Farmstand is known for local ranchers meats.
My Diet
I promised I would leave most of this to the video, but I will comment here on food…
As I noted in my video, I dropped about 50 pounds when I started “intermittent fasting” in late 2021. I also went low carb. That leaves fat & protein as food groups. Of course, I aimed for quality (organic) fats and proteins including avocado, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, fatty natural meats (salmon, ribeye, ground meat, and wild salmon.
I believe my failure was diverting from this strict approach and including mocha lattes, weekly pancakes, and occasional (or more than occasional) desserts. I have now eliminated ALL of these – I will get more blood work in a few weeks to see what has changed since the heart attack on Jun 2.
Interestingly, certain markers were excellent at that time, like A1C of 5.1, others were not good, like Triglycerides of 255 at that time.
Medical Needs for RV Travelers
I’m actively planning a new post on how Medicare / Medishare is working for me, now 3 years into these plans. In a post written about a year ago that was associated with getting (expensive) hernia surgery. I detail some of the considerations as an RV traveler. In some ways, OUR needs and situation ARE unique. Here’s my report called “Healthcare Insights” sharing what I experienced and discovered at that time.
Upcoming plans and posts
I’m remaining active. Just today (Jun 30th), I went to the hot springs (109F water) for an hour or so, then did a 5 mile bike ride on gravel roads, then swam 300 yards, then walked (in a lazy river) for 20 minutes (against the flow!) I just came back in (a few hours later) from a 0.5 mile walk. This evening will be the “cool pool” at the hot springs (about 100F.)
After the Independence Day (250th!) Weekend, I will be heading west to the Idaho Falls region. I plan to arrive by July 10th and will stay for at least 1 month, perhaps 2. After then, I head NORTH to get back to my winter ski and ski instructing site near Lookout Pass, Idaho.
Hey, I’d love to hear from you – you can post below in the comments section OR below the video (click on it to load the YouTube page and you can post there.)
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