SLEEP  APNEA- THE ANTI-STEROID!

By Peter Vuono

     For many years I always made myself aware of my total and free testosterone levels due to the fact that I was a competitive powerlifter. I started taking blood tests in 2003. I had taken a hiatus from competition from 1997- 2004 and I wanted to know how much my body had changed. The scale for Total Testosterone usually runs from 300ng/dl to 1100 ng/dl, although the Free level of testosterone is far more important.
    My total levels in 2004 floundered at the low normal range at about 320ng/dl. This however never bothered me as I did not yet at age 51 incur any noteworthy symptoms of low T. Also I deadlifted 500 at a bodyweight of 189 at age 51 and 500 again in 2008 at age 55 at a bodyweight of 181.
   In 2009, however, my levels fluctuated from below 300 and above 300. I decided to see renowned endocrinologist, Dr. Andre Guay who put me on Clomid. Clomid is a fertility drug which has been around since the Underground Steroid Handbook of the 80's. It causes the pituitary to release gonadotropins to seep down to the Cells of Leydig and thus create testosterone.
   This helped a great deal but levels fluctuated from 520(just once) down to about 312. Just before Dr. Guay retired he told me that the only thing he could think of for my levels not attaining a higher plateau was sleep apnea. However, like me, Dr. Guay was not a fan of the CPAP mask. The plan was to stay above 300 ng/dl  and when this couldn't be attained we would try injections of testosterone cypionate  also know as Depo-testosterone.
  On a whim, I took the results of a 5 year old polysomnography test or a sleep apnea test. I got a prescription for a CPAP machine and decided to try it. CPAP stands for continuous  positive airway pressure which was developed by Dr. George Gregory at the Univ. of Cal in SanFranciso. What the mask does is pump air into the windpipe and thus opening it up so that blockage of the airway is eradicated.
   It is well known that in addition to lowering testosterone, apnea can cause stage 2 diabetes and various heart and cardiovascular complications. Once I got used to the mask, I fell asleep much quicker and deeper. I also found that I was more refreshed in the morning. This would prove to be a tremendous buffer to the sedating Metropolol Succinate that I was taking for high blood pressure.
   I also noticed that my testosterone levels soared. I went up to a total level of 639 ng/dl in about 6-8 months. My last reading was at  649 at age 63.  In May of 2017 I deadlifted 425 at age 64 at a bodyweight of 196. Prior to this, my deadlift was a poor and consistent 400 at the past three contests.
This was all done while on a knee with bone on bone osteoarthritis. One can only imagine what I could do with two good knees.
   Men; if you're getting symptoms of low testosterone and/or also have sleep apnea, do what I did; get a polysomnography test and try the CPAP. Your energy and health will improve and you'll be doing a huge favor for anyone that depends on you!

  

THE CLOWN'S PRAYER

By Peter Vuono


     I have  a friend named Tom Kennedy. Tom is my mentor in the magic business. My mom gave me Tom's number and after I contacted him, he kindly, without ever asking for anything back, took me under his wing and introduced me to the world of magic. After I thought I was ready, I entertained for the next 26 years. If I was successful  in making just one of the thousands I stood before laugh, I owe it to Tom.
   Tom is naturally funny. He constantly makes me laugh. To paraphrase George Burns, "If you're 18 and you get no laughs, you become 80 very quickly. Also, if you're 80 and you get laughs right away, you become 18 very quickly. Tom Kennedy will always be 18. Tom is a Shriners clown. He's entertained thousands of kids who were maimed or burned from fire. He has wiped away the tears of many for decades. This is why, it's so incredibly disconcerting to me that many clowns are not being employed because  the  public wrongfully associates a good horror movie with a good children's entertainer.
   I loved the movie "It" and Tim Curry is a favorite of mine. I intend to see the remake but unlike much of  America, I leave my thoughts about a good horror movie at the door of the theater. I don't understand why so many people can't differentiate. It puts the good work of Tom Kennedy and many of his colleagues in the same category as horror and this is wrong.
  Do you remember Chris Farley? Chris was, in this author's opinion the finest clown ever produced by Saturday Night Live. Chris, in spite of having addictions, was a man of deep faith. He always carried a copy of "The Clown's Prayer", in his wallet. The prayer was tearfully recited by his beloved brother at Chris's funeral.
   Tom Kennedy gave me that prayer which I will include here today. I hope that when you read it, you too, like Tom, will understand the true nature and intentions of authentic clowns. That's my prayer for you, for Tom , for children and for laughter.



                                                   THE CLOWN'S  PRAYER


     Dear Lord,
         As I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more happiness than gloom, spread more cheer than despair. Never let me become so blaze that I fail to see the wonder in the eyes of a child or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged.. Never let me forget that my work is to cheer people, make them happy, make them laugh, make them forget at least for the moment, the unpleasantness in their lives.
          Never let me acquire success to the point that I discontinue calling on my creator in the hour of need, acknowledging and thanking him in the hour of plenty, and in my final moment, may I hear you whisper, "When you made my people smile, you made me smile"
          
  

A BOY AND HIS HERO

By Peter Vuono

     Several years ago, I wrote a story for my son entitled" Other than Scorpion, Sub-zero and Jackie Chan, Whadda Ya Wanna Be When You Grow Up?" Super heroes were very important to my son. In fact, I'm convinced that if it were not for heroes like George and Steve Reeves, Bruno Sammartino and so many like them, I would have had a different and possibly inferior job, personality and life.
     Therefore I encouraged Mike to follow heroes of every sort from Hercules to Donnie Yen. Mike was born in both the year and hour of "The Dragon" in the Chinese calendar and I knew that good things were very possible as "The Dragon", among other things can stand for heaven.
     In addition to getting a Black Belt, Mike took up bodybuilding and slowly turned into a demi-hulk of sorts. He became 6'2" and 200lbs. He covered himself with the Chinese word" long" which means Dragon and broke a world record in the right hand dumbbell bench press and the left hand dumbbell bench press for an organization called the United States. All- Round WL. Assoc. However it wasn't until recently, that I understood what he was doing; he was putting on a costume and becoming like the heroes he emulated The main and necessary ingredient however was his heart and desire to help others.
     After getting his Phys, Ed. degree, Mike went to work for 9 hours a day teaching gym to urban kids , most of whom were in great need. I remember that Jackie Chan once said that the most important thing is the children because they follow us.  Then one day, I visited my son's work site and I realized what was happening. One of the kids calls him "dad", others clamor to be picked up by him and carried to their destination. Slowly but surely he was becoming just like his heroes of old. Perhaps not on such a grand scale as a movie screen but in God's eyes, a grand scale indeed.
     There is a proverb that states""If you bring one moment of happiness into the life of a child you are a coworker with God" I'm so proud of my son for taking this path because every boy needs a hero.