Part One
This blog is for anyone with LTHC’s (especially those with Pituitary Conditions), Sports/Exercise Instructors. Showing how people with LTHC’s Compare to top level Sports Performers In everyday life, through transferable skills & understanding between Health, Support & High Level Sports Performance
Ever thought about comparing yourself with a Grand Prix Formula 1 Team? No? Then let’s lead you into this gently!
If you are sporty then you’ll understand the team work and technical aspects that go into a motor racing car or any other top level sport/exercise routine and what needs to happen to allow participants to reach their full potential. Flip this around and look at it from the perspective of someone with a long term health condition, you’ll understand the need for a good team around.
So what links can be made here?
Our aim here is to highlight how each small component of your health and well being can also relate directly to how every little detail within a sporting environment. Hence, allowing all of us to connect better by establishing the difficulties faced within two very different but crucial scenarios.
With theOlympics In full swing and the Paralympics hitting soon you’d think we would focus on that, but the team at Time to Heal wanted to challenge your thoughts beyond the normal. Therefore, Formula 1 seemed a great option with its technicality, attention to detail, unbelievable facts, the combination of technology, sporting endeavour, team work, links in the chain, people involved, preparation, analysis, modifications and, essentially making small marginal gains to bring together something positive and tangible.
Why are we writing this? Well, think about your medical condition? Some days you win and some you loose but if one thing isn’t working we need to switch things up a gear to maintain our good health.
Why not use this as an opportunity to transfer knowledge across two totally different scenarios?
Why not use these to raise awareness on both sides?
Let’s break down break the key components into sections. In Part One we’ll look through and consider what we deem to be the top sectors of performance that are key to success;
Individuality, Communication, Support & An Introduction to Control .
In Part Two we will Begin With a Focus on Control before we move onto smaller components including: Health & Well Being, Mental Health, Exercise,Temperature, Hydration & Travel.
Then we will conclude with Scientific Research, Analysis and Team Work before highlighting the key points to remember to support health, consider concerns that still remain over COVID and look at how coaches and exercise deliverers can be more inclusive to those with LTHC’s.
Individuality
At the heart of each Formula 1 team is the Driver ( x 2). Both very different people, both with different skill sets, both with different levels of involvement in how their team works and how they prepare for races. What kind of feedback they need, the focus, drive, determination and overall fit within a team. Something we’ll come back to later on when we start to look at control.
Remember that each Pituitary patient (or patient with any other LTHC) is also very different. The same condition will cause similar symptoms but not everyone is prescribed the same medication. Decisions are made according to how the patient presents, with symptoms and each person is unique in terms of how they manage their illness, the security of it, alongside added complications from additional health or mental health problems.
The key is to support and protect. Formula 1 is highly dangerous which is why so much preparation needs to be followed. In the same way as a patient with Pituitary Insufficiency or Addison’s faces the reality that their conditions have the potential to be life threatening if not properly managed and controlled. The same for many medical conditions.
Top Tip
Don’t compare yourself to others! This can be easier said than done but each case is different down to the severity of the LTHC, other conditions, even the place that you live and, access to quick and successful medical care when you need it. If you compare yourself to someone else you’ll only want to be as good as them. Then you are loosing your focus on your abilities, skills and weaknesses which removes you from the concept of individuality. You’ll either fail, not achieve your potential or reach a certain level and wonder what the next step should be.
Keeping a Journal/log/choosing words correctly to get your point of view across will help with your individuality. At Time to Heal we keep daily logs of symptoms, feelings, positives and analysis. Ahead of appointments we utilise this to prepare with simple bullet lists (each on a different coloured post it note stuck to paper, just like a mini noticeboard!) with the following topics;
Key Concerns
Problems and the impact on our lives
How much medication we are requiring on top of your daily dosage
Questions
Cross Over Conditions
What has happened in other specialities since the last appointment
Pain levels & types of pain
Communication
Imagine flying around a race track at 200mph and having a conversation with your team. Relaying information back to them and taking on new and important details of how the car feels and the need to send negative responses for all to hear including your rivals! This is a practiced skill which requires a huge amount of focus, control and understanding of technical terms, detailed strategies and the ability to communicate through different mediums.
Thinking Back to The Formula 1 Grand Prix in Barcelona 2021!
‘Lewis Hamilton looked to have lost his window of opportunity to come into the pits following a move from the Red Bull Team to bring in Max Verstappen and get himself back out in front. However, the team didn’t panic, came in changed the tyres and worked back over 20seconds before retaking the lead and winning empathically. Even having the ability to drive and joke about his and Verstappen’s tyres!’ (Reference to the Barcelona Grand Prix 09/05 as an observer!)
This is essentially what our journeys through life with a LTHC will be like and communication is possibly the key element. So how do we communicate in such difficult situations? How is that going to help? How often do we glaze over our problems when asked how we are for fear of judgement and our ability to express the pain we are suffering. Overcoming this hurdle will begin to shape our relationships with Healthcare staff and settings as required. We need to interact in different ways to convey our own messages, whether they are positive or negative. Clear precise information which allows us to transfer how we feel and function to medical professionals is crucial to good management and, eventually some control over our conditions.
Top Tip
Stickman Communications have produced some simple but effective charts to show how what you say may sound to medical professionals. They explore this through a Common Misunderstanding Pain Chart and a Common Misunderstanding Physiotherapy Chart. Although not directed at Specialists these documents can still be of great help. They provide you examples of what a medical professional may interpret your words/actions to be and, guide you towards a much better conversation, so that both sides come to a similar conclusion. It’s all about re-phrasing and being honest. Don’t be afraid to look through your questions and notes whilst in the consultation and if you feel more comfortable then have someone there with you to help you. Most Medical Professionals will welcome this as they want to get you better and so need as much as you can give them!
Support
Support can manifest itself in so many different ways. With Lewis Hamilton and Angela Cullen this was exactly that. When they first linked up in 2015 it was in role of a personal trainer. Now she fits many different boxes, and if you watch Grand Prix you’ll see they are often joined at the hip. Their connections reaching beyond that initial key component. Hamilton cites;
“Thank God for Angela… it's not easy to spend time with anyone I think for long periods of time. But we're room-mates and you know, pretty much best of friends. So we work well. And pretty much we do everything together. We always skydive together, we surf together, we run together, we go to the gym, we do everything pretty much. We do yoga together, meditate now. So we're very much aligned in terms of things we like to do.”
In Formula 1 this is a relationship off the back which is hugely important. Although, there is a much wider support network that is highly complex. It’s very much like our medical scenarios.
We start out with perhaps a GP looking into what is happening with our bodies, a barrage of testing, perhaps referral to the wrong department but then finally you get that diagnosis! You get the person who can guide you through, the one that matters, understands, works with you and becomes perhaps the most important person in your life outside of your close family and friends. Relationships need to be built and sometimes where there are multiple conditions and, therefore different specialists it’s important that they can all connect. This can be very challenging. Some consultants will be very open to this approach and some not so keen. Others may not understand the connection or your concern about this.
Top Tip
Ensure you attend all of your appointments, even if you are feeling well. Some people find it helpful to join a Health Charity and get the latest updates on your condition. There are also support groups that you can tap into. COVID has brought about new ways of working and through webinars, Twitter TakeOvers, Online Conferences and Zoom meetings. Patients have been given the opportunity to access and question leading consultants within their field. Examples of these are the Pituitary Foundation Helplines, and Addisons Disease Self Help Care Services which have different options for you to try.
Be open to including more than one person within your support network/mechanisms. A good mix of medical professionals is worth fighting for where multiple conditions are an issue. Your GP or potentially someone like a pain specialist or mental health care-co-ordinator could be the key to helping you keep everyone updated and working together. In effect this is your version of Cullen! Your own recording of what happens after each appointment could have a significant impact. The right information and correct communication of this equals better care.
Introduction To Control
At the heart our Formula 1 Drivers are their steering wheels, the ability to utilise this has to be well practiced and utilised at high speeds. They come with a serious amount of functions! Crucially they are carefully moulded around the drivers hands to ensure a perfect fit and this provides individuality and, allows them to reach everything they need throughout their race. Essentially, it connects the driver to their Head Mechanic, the Team Principle and of course alerts them to things they need to consider, in terms of engine control and engine performance mechanisms.
Likewise, at the heart of the patient is the need to bring in multiple factors such as different consultants, the need to clearly identify what symptoms are being caused by what and, the ability to react quickly to manage those conditions at speed and with confidence.
With a LTHC you can only control so much and that can be daunting. However, what we can do is implement what is given to us to the best of our ability. That means working with as many people as necessary, allowing each team member we need to connect with each other in order to support us. How many buttons you have on your steering wheel will be determined by the complexity of your condition.
Top Tip
Using the technology available to help us monitor our health and well-being is a lot easier than people may think and comes in a variety of forms. On a low level there are many great apps that you can download to your phone that you can utilise to manage sleep, count your steps, monitor your diet, check the weather or set handy medication alerts. Plus smaller aids such as Heart Rate monitors and blood pressure machines can all come in handy.
Moving up a notch would be smart watch! These might be costly but you have various options and pricing levels dependant on your specific requirements. Here you can monitor your HR and increasing stress levels, have convenient but simple, and discrete relaxation guidance on your arm. Monitor saturation levels, track your sleep patterns, check the weather, monitor exercise or take an ECG! FitBit has a great range of products and the opportunity to get basic app details for free and upgrade options for greater depth and analysis.
Apple Watches are up another notch and of course have a significant array of features, allowing you to basically have your phone on your arm as well as all the health monitoring that you could ever need.
These can all support you with recording a daily log and will be extra helpful when we come to discuss analysis later on in the series. Despite the cost, if you maintain usage then they are long lasting and therefore cost effective.
To conclude for now!
By recognising ourselves as individuals, communicating, Informing, and getting the support network needed, is going to give us the tools to better understand and control what we can and cannot manage. But it does take time, effort and work, and can be really frustrating. This isn’t a ‘quick fix’ scenario. Our battles will continue. However, we cannot expect the medical professionals to do everything for us. We have a duty to fully embrace whatever they prescribe/suggest, even if we have doubts or feel outside our comfort zone. Although, it is wise to explain your fears and concerns.
As we move through the next few weeks will look in more detail at this, and show how smaller components affect our bodies and, tackle some top tips on getting through the problems. Each of these will become part of your control panel/steering wheel or guiding light, whichever phrase you choose!
For now, stay well, stay safe and as ever the Important Links are below;
Stickman Communications
Stickman Communication - Pain Misunderstanding Leaflet
Physiotherapy Misunderstandings
AutoSport - What Does a F1 Driver’s Workout Regime, Diet & Cardio Look like?
Pituitary Foundation - Support For You Helplines
Addison’s Disease Self Help Group - Emergency Support
Fitbit Watch - Home Page
Apple Watch - Home Page
Valteri Bottas - F1 Steering Wheel Controls
Comments