Chris Nikic - 1% Better: Reaching My Full Potential and How You Can Too

2021 Chris Nikic and Nik Nikic

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The information in this book has been carefully researched, and all efforts have been made to ensure accuracy. The author and the publisher assume no responsibility for any injuries suffered or damages or losses incurred during or as a result of following the exercise program in this book. All of the procedures, poses, and postures should be carefully studied and clearly understood before attempting them at home. Always consult your physician or qualified medical professional before beginning this or any exercise program.

ISBN 978-0-7852-5645-8 (eBook)

Epub Edition July 2021 9780785256458

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021940095

ISBN 978-0-7852-5618-2 (TP)

Printed in the United States of America

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To my Grandpa Marko and Grandpa Jack in heaven, I miss you both.

To my Grandma Luba and Grandma Liz, I love you so much.

To my sister, Jacky, for always being there for me.

C HRIS

I dedicate this book to my wife, my dream, the rock of our family. Without you, none of this is possible. Thank you for being the best wife and mother. I love you forever.

N IK

E very journeyeven the 2.4-mile swim, the 112-mile bike ride, and the 26.2-mile run of an IRONMAN triathlonhas a starting line. This journey began in a non-descript doctors office in suburban Maryland.

If youve ever had a child, you know its a magical and sacred time. Nothing prepares you for the first timethe feelings of anticipation, excitement, and nervousness that come from knowing youre going to be responsible for the life of somebody other than yourself. Up until that moment, youve just been... you, which is to say somebodys son or daughter, then somebodys husband or wife. Getting married poses a big change in identity but is still not as transformative as becoming a parent.

My wife, Patty, and I had our first child in 1989, a beautiful baby girl named Jacky. Her birth weight was just shy of nine pounds, which meant she practically hit the ground running and hasnt slowed down since. So we had experienced this joyous anticipation before. Now it was ten years later, and after two miscarriages and serious concern that we might be unable to bring a brother or sister into the world for Jacky, Patty was once again pregnant. If you or a loved one have experienced a miscarriage, you know how devastating it can be, especially to the mother. Having a miscarriage can eat away at the mothers confidence and belief in her fitness for motherhood. As a father, even after all these years, I think of what could have been. I wonder what life would have been like with those two lost children. The thought never leaves me.

As a husband of a woman who has had a miscarriage, you can offer assurances to her that she is not alone in her time of doubting, but ultimately it is the mothers burden to bear. Despite having endured two miscarriages, Pattys and my dream finally came true, and we were just as excited about our second child as we were for the first. After all, a decade is a long time.

It was spring 1999, and Patty and I were sitting in the doctors office in Westminster, Maryland, waiting for her ultrasound appointment. Patty had been through pregnancy before and was bolder than I was when it came to really digging in and asking doctors the hard questions, so she could have handled the visit on her own and shared all she learned with me that night. But I wanted to be there. We had spent ten long years trying to have a second child, and I wanted to be by her side. It was a good thing too.

Patty was in her second trimester, which is an especially exciting time because the embryo has begun to look like a real person with arms and legs and even little facial features. We both were excited when her turn came to see the doctor, and she went into the procedure room to be prepped by the technician. The procedure is typically carried out by a technician who uses a sonogram to record images of the child, which the doctor later evaluates before meeting with the expectant parents.

The tech moved the transducer around Pattys belly while she looked up at a monitor at all the weird images that flitted in and out of the screen until he got an image of the child. And there he wasthat was going to be our son. Patty and I smiled and snuck a look over at the tech as he examined very closely images of the brain, heart, and spine. After a moment he made hard copies of the images and excused himself without saying much. Patty said she felt a little awkward, and a little bit of concern crept into her mind at the technicians whispers in an adjacent room as she waited for the doctor to come in.

When the doctor entered the room after what seemed an unusually long time, he chatted generally about how Patty was feeling and went on to explain that he had discovered some white spots on the babys heart. It is common knowledge that women who are in their late thirties, as Patty was, have a higher chance of having a child with Down syndrome or some type of genetic challenge. White spots were an early indication that something was wrong in the babys development. The doctor recommended additional testing to be sure. We asked, What will the additional testing tell us? Is there a risk in doing the tests? He answered that the tests would be able to identify the presence of any chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. He added that, yes, there was a small riskthe baby could be hurt or even killedin performing amniocentesis, a process in which the doctor draws amniotic fluid from the mom and baby by using a long, hollow needle stuck through the moms abdomen and into the uterus. Miscarriage was also a possible result of the procedure.

Patty and I had arrived at the appointment full of the hope and happiness of expectant parents, and now we were left feeling anxious and even a little frightened for the future.