Just One Joey: good advice

Need a little boost in your day?

Don’t have enough energy?

Feeling a little down?

I have a 60 second light switch.

Start your day with it. Use it after the gym. Use it before a meeting. Use it if you have a little too much “funk” in you day. It is almost a universal remedy.

I use it every day, twice a day. In the morning to start the workday on the right foot (along with meditation and coffee), and after my workouts, to reset my system.

What it this magic remedy?

A Cold Shower

That’s it?

Yup.

But that is so easy! I have a shower at home! One at the gym! One at work!

I know! That’s the best part! It’s accessible. It’s cheap. It’s effective!

It’s perfect!

A List Of Benefits

1. It Will Make You Happy: Cold water activates the sympathetic nervous system and increases the blood of beta-endorphins. What do endorphins do? They make you happy! They allow you to feel pleasure and a sense of satisfaction. Want to know something really crazy? Of course you do!! You know all those drugs that people take, then they get addicted, then they fall apart and it ruins their life? Heroin, codeine (sizzurp), morphine, oxy? They are all basically endorphin releasing agents! Crazy, huh? A cold shower will allow your body to release endorphins in your body the same way hardcore, addictive drugs can! Without your life falling apart!! Yipee!!

2. Increases Blood Flow: When your body is cold (specifically for this article, when you are standing in a freezing ass shower), your body redirects blood to your vital organs. Why? It thinks you may be dying (April Fool’s body!! I’m not really dying! Gotcha!). But you aren’t, obviously. It forces your heart to pump more efficiently, pushing blood harder through your vessels to make sure your “guts” are protected. The increase in blood flow also means you are getting oxygen and nutrients pushed throughout your body, and more importantly, to vital parts. Increased circulation means a healthier body. Already workout? Good for you, then this is just another way to make you even better. An increase in blood flow will help you with: fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, and in extreme cases, heart attacks and strokes.

Are you in the shower yet?

Need more?

Jeez Louise.

3. A Reset Button: Remember the “reset” buttons on the old Nintendo? Am I dating myself too much? Dang it. Anyways. If I am being honest, the only time I would ever use that button is when things were not going very well for me in: Super Mario Bros (1–3), Contra, Bases Loaded, or Tecmo Bowl. It was a gutless move, especially when I was playing someone else. They never appreciated it. Oh well. But if you are in a funk, there is no shame in hitting the reset button. Forget tomorrow is another day, you can flip that switch and change everything in the next few minutes. Cold showers reset your nervous system. Actually, the shock turns on your autonomic nervous system (fight or flight), then your parasympathetic nervous system kicks back in afterwards, relaxing your nervous system.

Are you sold now?

Some other benefits to cold showers, besides recharging your body: tightens skin, pushes out toxins in the body because your body constricts in cold water, pushing them out, activates fat burning, increases testosterone and fertility, improves hair and skin heath, and increases your immunity!

What else do you need?

Happy showering!

This article is extremely personal to me.

It is designed to shine a light and help a group of people very near and dear to my heart: truck drivers.

This Monday, July 4, 2016, I lost my uncle. He was a truck driver.

We were about as close as a nephew and uncle could be. Over the last few days I have been flipping through photo albums. Every picture, whether it be 1981, 1995, or 2015, we were smiling, we were having a good time.

But our photo album is complete. There won’t be any more additions. The last picture we had together he was dressed up like a cowboy princess, thanks to my daughter. He was a great guy. We all loved being around him.

Loved. Past tense.

On Monday he “threw a clot” in Mississippi on his way across the country for 100th? 200th? 300th time? Who knows? Too many to count. He knew this country like the back of his hand. He saw every inch of it in his 40+ years behind the wheel. He loved the road. When he was on vacation, what did he do? Traded in his 18 wheeler for a motorcycle, and hit the road. It was his life.

Even though he lived longer than many people do, saw more than almost all of us ever will, he is still gone to soon. They always are.

He developed a blood clot in his leg, he “threw” it, and he didn’t make it.

I want to make sure other families of truck drivers don’t have to feel the pain my family is feeling right now. Losing someone from something (potentially) preventable. Getting “that” phone call. We are all going to go eventually, we don’t need to speed the process up. We don’t need to rush in to that last breath.

Please share this with your family, spread the word and the information in these next few paragraphs.

Let’s keep our fathers and our uncles around longer. A little more time is all we are ever going to want in the end.

What is a blood clot?

It is basically a scab in your blood stream. It is formed to help repair damaged blood vessels, arteries, or veins.

Causes?

Heart conditions, post-surgery healing, especially where casts and splints are used.

Risks increase in people over 60.

Risks increase if they are: obese, diabetic, have high blood pressure, smoke, and experience prolonged inactivity (like driving for a living).

I am obviously going to focus on the prolonged inactivity, but I know there is a high rate of smoking, obesity and diabetes in the truck driving community, so please focus on those as well.

Symptoms

Clots can move in the body, that’s when they are really dangerous.

The ones that truck drivers need to be aware of are the ones in their legs. Look for: pain, redness, swelling, tenderness, a warm sensation or a pale or blue discoloration and coolness (because of lack of circulation).

When you throw a clot (a piece breaks loose), it can either go any number of places in your body, none of them good.

Heart: chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, indigestion, and sweating (basically, a heart attack).

Brain: loss of speech, vision, and weakness on one side of the body (basically a stroke).

Lungs: chest pain, shortness of breath, and rapid pulse and breathing.

Intestines or other organs: abdominal pain, nausea, blood in stool.

The most important thing to take from this section is awareness. Be aware of how your legs feel.

Listen to your body. When you feel or notice any of these things, put your ego aside, put your haul aside and get your butt to the doctor, or the nearest emergency room. Your life is more important than anything you have in the trailer.

When To Call 911

When you feel chest pressure, have shortness of breath, have difficulty seeing, speaking or breathing.

This is a VERY serious situation. My last conversation with my uncle was telling him to go to the doctor because we was having chest and kidney pains. He said he took Tylenol and he was fine. Let that sink in. What if he went to the doctor? Maybe my photo album would have a few more good times with a wonderful man.

Prevention

Hydration: Drink plenty of fluids. We are talking water here people. Not sodas, Gatorade, any of that other crap. Remember, diabetics and obese people have a higher likelihood of clotting. We don’t want make it easier for the clots to form. You are already sitting for long periods of time, that’s help enough.

Move Around: Make sure you walking around every time you stop. If you are in for a really long haul that day, stop every few hours and walk around. If you are drinking enough water, like you should, you will have to stop and pee every few hours anyways. Take the time to get a few extra minutes of leg movement in.

Clothing: Wear loose fitting clothing. Not that truck drivers are known for traveling in skin tight leather pants or anything, but you know, just in case.

Sleep: When you sleep, elevate your feet above your heart.

Compression Socks. Wear them (you can get them at any Walmart or Target in the travel section).

Change Positions Regularly: Purposefully change positions. I know what you are saying, where the hell am I going to go in the truck? I get it, but shift your hips, take some pressure off of the backs of your legs throughout the day.

Now for the tough part: Health

1. Eat better

2. Lose weight

3. Stop smoking

4. Limit your salt intake

5. Take your meds.

I know this is all stuff you have probably heard before, but please take the consequences seriously.

If you have any questions on how you can change your diet, or you want to know if what you are eating sucks, please feel free to contact me in the comments section and I will be happy to work with you (for free by the way, this is supposed to help people, not make money). I know it is very difficult to eat well on the road, with the pressure of deadlines and the endless supply of fast food chains all along your routes, but there are ways.

Honesty

It can happen to you. Whether you are behind the wheel, or you love the person behind the wheel, it can happen to you.

It’s awful.

It’s sad.

And it doesn’t have to happen.

Be safe. Live Safe. Drive safe.

Over and out.

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