Felt Great - broken spokes

On Thursday, I decided to ride my bicycle to work.  I felt better and was tired of nursing and not enjoying anything.  The doctor stated I could do the activity level I am comfortable doing.  However, they must understand that my comfort level is much higher than usual.  Those who have completed ultra-marathons know what I mean.

In February, I wrote a post about the new bicycle I had ordered but had yet to receive.  I upgraded the electric assist to one with more torque and range.  I also purchased a new bike, the Surly Long Haul Trucker, a significant upgrade from the old (2006) Cannondale Quick 5.  Some may think electric assist is cheating, but I still have to pedal and ensure my heart rate is solid to get a workout.  An example ride with heart rate stats can be seen at https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1878980545.   For that 12.72-mile, 48.5-minute ride, I had an average heart rate of 127 BPM and a maximum of 161 BPM.  The assist helps me go about 3 MPH faster and makes the hills a breeze.   I rarely use any assist on flat ground.

My newer ride - Surly Long Haul Trucker and Bronx D500

Now, it is not a secret.  I am a heavier guy.  I had a custom wheel made for my Fuji when I bought it, and well over 5,000 miles, never broke a spoke.  I have broken three spokes previously on the Bronx rear rim, two the first time and one a second time.  Thursday, however, I found two broken spokes.  Frustrating!  I have even used special care to avoid bumps.  I was thinking about the words on the frame.  I would be OK until I found out that "Fff fatties fit fine" means tires, not me.

On Friday, I had more blood work.  Even though I have been taking the same dose of medicine, my INR has dropped 0.6 since the last check.  Yes, I typed that right; that considerable drop erases much of what I have gained to get above 2.0, which is desired.  I also have dropped the hemoglobin by 1.8.  I left the hospital with a 6.1 (15 plus desires) and did get an increase to near 9.0.  However, now, I am back below 7.  I also had pain in my right calf, and the ultrasound found a new clot!  What, a new clot, and I have been on blood thinners for three weeks now!  They suggested I go to the hospital and spend some time for more tests.  I am more and more confused about this all the time. 

Until we figure this out, I will continue injecting 0.9 of the Lovenox twice daily, taking 10 gm of Warfarin once a day and 65 mg of iron twice daily.  Let's see where the next week takes me. 

Carry on, my friends, carry on...

15 days - minor progress

So, it has been two weeks since I was released from the hospital.  When I left the hospital, I had 6.1 g/DL hemoglobin, where 15 g/ML was desired.  When I was admitted, my INR was 1.12.  After 15 days of Lovenox injections and 10 mg of Warfarin, I am at 1.8 g/ML.  Still below the 2.0 to 3.0 they desire.  So, I continue taking the medicine, hoping the numbers will increase.  I am still exhausted and not sleeping well.  I did sleep well for three days after the iron infusion, but since then, I have had abysmal sleep and fatigue.  It is hard to push onward, but what choice do I have?

I see the pathologist next week and hope to get this sorted out.  This issue, the stress from work, and concern over family members take a toll.  I am battling people I cherish, making bad choices based on other people's actions.  Most people agree reacting to some people's actions is not suitable for them.  An analogy would be if my son told me to take the medicine I need to get better, and I just refused because I want to feel better without medicine.  He would be pissed if I did something irrational and stupid like that jeopardized my health and future.  Yet people do similar actions, and they think I need to stay out of their business.  I have always said you can't control or regulate stupidity.

In one situation, a relationship went terrible where the two people were together for 16 months.  The one party wants to throw away much of their lifetime goals and objectives to try to get the relationship back, even when it is clear it is not healthy to do so, and the relationship is toxic.  No logical person would think this is a good thing, but when people get stupid, there is not much you can do to protect them.  It reminds me of the twisted thoughts of those who think their president is the most honest and fair person in the world.  Even though facts say otherwise.  But this causes stress for those who care.

The positive side effect of this illness is that I have lost 25 pounds. Of course, I could still lose 75 more pounds, but other priorities exist. I should do what the doctors and all those I discuss the issues with suggest I do, not some other action caused by out-of-control emotions. If I could get others to see that logic, life would be better for all involved.

Carry on, my friends, carry on….

Most would not be alive...

The header/title words were similar to those I heard this past weekend—not from one physician but two physicians and several nurses.

For years, I have been feeling fatigued, having trouble sleeping, and having many other health issues. Yet I delayed any hospital or Doctor check-ups. I reduced the fatigue and other issues to 70 hours per week and high stress with less exercise.

Last Friday, I reached a point where I could no longer ignore the signs. I was in significant pain, and walking upstairs made my muscles sting and my heart race. Often, I had to take a break with little activity as I was totally out of breath. If I tried to continue, extreme dizziness resulted. Therefore, being the procrastinating male, I decided to stop by urgent care after work.

I checked into urgent care, and they asked me a few questions. I responded that about 17 months ago, I had an extreme pain in my right calf that was unexpected. I massaged, took Advil, and used the Ice Heat technique, which was better. Then, a few months later, it was the other leg. This pattern kept going to the point now that the pain was in the left calf, and it was very intense. I had just returned from a long vacation and explained I had spent a great deal of time in a car on several occasions, including the first pain I had over a year ago. I thought I might have bronchitis, pneumonia, or a bad cold. They refused to treat me and ordered me to the Emergency Room. They even refunded my co-pay and stated there would be no change for the visit.

Off I go to the emergency room. I started telling them the whole story; according to them, I was rather pale. Then, all hell seemed to break loose. I was surrounded by several people and was in a barrage of tests from Doctors and Nurses. The way they acted, I thought I would die, and they needed to act fast.

After three hours, they had me on an IV of Heparin. The Doctor came in and said they found the following:

• Pulmonary Embolism (significant - they used that word that said they do not recall seeing that bad - blood clots in each lung)
• Deep Vein Thrombosis – Ultrasound found several areas in the left leg and one large clot in the right.
• Anemia - A normal red blood cell in men. It’s 15g/DL; I have 6.1g/DL, and they are trying to find out why. The remaining possibility is cancer if they can’t find internal bleeding. They have sent the biopsies to U of M, and the results should be ready in the next few days. 

This is when I heard the first person say most people would not be alive. I spent the next four days being prodded and poked in more ways than possible. Upper Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, a few biopsies, and more vials of blood than I ever imagined. Still, no answer for the anemia.

I was released late yesterday, yet I am very fatigued and unwilling to work full days. I take two shots a day and take three different pills until they identify the issue. Until then, I must stay strong and do my best to survive. That is hard to accomplish, yet it is better than the alternative.

Carry on, my friends, carry on...