General Cycling Discussion - 1oldroadie Is Alive

Contrary to what my wife has been saying...I am still alive. Since the Hotter than Hell ride I have enjoyed many and various physical confrontations with the medical establishment. I have spent time with pulminologist (lungs) cardiologist (heart) and other types of doctors that should not be mentioned in mixed company.

End result I life is worth living and I shall continue, until I get hit by that inevitable truck on the hiway.

I am in process of changing my old paramount into a fixed gear bike and look forward to the spring and the "roses" thing in Austin.

Thank you all that have inquired as to my absence.

Terry

Hell I didnt even know you were missing....well actually I dont even know who you are, were, whatever. Anyways glad to hear everything is tickin correctly. Nice to meet ya!

Did something happen at the hotter than hell ride? I hope you are doing better. If you think of all the time spent in doctor's offices that could have been spent on the road:crash: Very frustrating.

From 1oldroadie to another, glad you are okay and back!

Glad to see you posting again 1oldroadie.

:)

I'm looking forward to the Ride 4 Roses too, but next year it will be in the fall, after racing season. I'm not sure of the date. (It was postd earlier)

Glad to hear you are up and kicking!

Originally posted by 1oldRoadie
Contrary to what my wife has been saying...I am still alive. Since the Hotter than Hell ride I have enjoyed many and various physical confrontations with the medical establishment. I have spent time with pulminologist (lungs) cardiologist (heart) and other types of doctors that should not be mentioned in mixed company.



Glad to see you around again.

I have seen a number of MD's myself, had a neurosurgery, have recovered (back to work this MOnday) and am training again.

Good you made it through OK.

I hate those hospitals and all that prodding and stuff.

In 63 years, my very first time admitted to the hospital - I managed to get out of there after one night, though.:D

Keep on posting. Perhaps you can now be 1youngroadie?

You ok?

:D

Latest installment on the never ending story of "why 1oldroadie rides".

On Jan 9 at 5am I found out why I had been feeling so bad the last few months. I had a massive heart attack. I was "jump started" once in the ambulance and 3 times at the emergency room. But I did survive.

In a couple of weeks they are going to have to do a second procedure on me then we can determine how fast I can ride this year...probably a little slower than before.

The reason I am posting this is to emphasize that one of the reasons that I did survive is the long distance riding I did provided me with a large stamina base that helped me through the ordeal.

And, fast or slow, I will continue to ride as long as I continue to breath.

Oh no...... sorry to hear that I wondered why u hadn't posted for so long!!!! I hope that u can still continue to cycle away!!!

WOW.

Scary, real scary.

Glad you are here to post about it, and I bet you will be back on the bike soon. It is one of the best exercises for rehabilitation.

God Bless.

1OldRoadie,

I will be more than honoured to ride with you at HHH,
even VERY slowly.
Glad to hear you are ok.

Marty

Originally posted by 1oldRoadie
On Jan 9 at 5am I found out why I had been feeling so bad the last few months. I had a massive heart attack. I was "jump started" once in the ambulance and 3 times at the emergency room. But I did survive.

Well, I can tell you from personal experience that there is life after heart-attack, and a pretty good life at that. On April 11, 1998 I had a heart attack, they flew me to Ft. Worth and did an emergency angioplasty in the middle of the night. That attack left the entire front wall of my heart dead.

In the fall of 1999 I had another rather small attack and they did another angioplasty and more stents. They wanted to do a bypass operation but I was concerned about the amount of time I'd be off work and essentially without income, so I put it off. In April of this year I finally had a quintuple bypass. It was nowhere near as bad as I expected. I was out of work for only six weeks (I pilot a desk, though) and I was able to cover the cut in pay of going on disability with sick and vacation time. The pain was not bad at all, I have literally had headaches that were far worse (mostly 'cause you can't get the kind of drugs they give you for headaches ;) ).

If your doctor recommends a bypass, have it! I will never be back to 100% because of the dead tissue from the attack in 98, but even with the front wall of my heart being dead I have more stamina now than at any time since my mid twenties. I'm running over an hour five nights a week on an elliptical glider, and looking forward to getting back on a bike after years of slothful couch potatoing.

So, follow your doctor's advice and life can be good!

John

Glad to see your back, roadie! Best of luck in the future, keep on pedalin'!

Things are lookin' better, oldroadie.

Hang in there, man.

:beer:

Cardiologist visit this morning. End result is: take the pills, be nicer to your wife, and ride!!!!!!

Apparently I beat old man death again. Dr says I will regain full capacity of my heart within 6 months.:beer:

Lotek, I plan on taking you up on that offer to ride with me at the HHH. But this year I plan on getting in a lot better shape (something about getting the stuffin' scared out of me), so expect a hot 100 come august.

Glad you're ok. Be good to yourself and ride.

Originally posted by 1oldRoadie
End result is: take the pills, be nicer to your wife, and ride!!!!!!

Sounds like a good prescription.

Good luck, we're rooting for you.

Originally posted by 1oldRoadie

Lotek, I plan on taking you up on that offer to ride with me at the HHH. But this year I plan on getting in a lot better shape (something about getting the stuffin' scared out of me), so expect a hot 100 come august.
Bring it on, I have a coach now
(hey Koffee since you answered a question, can I call
you my coach?) :lol:

As I said it would be an honor!

Marty

This was a double post...I don't know why. Joe??

The latest tally>

Mar 4 another angioplasty. 3 new stents and a lazier rotor-rutor.

Mar 13 another mild heart attack (one hour before I headed out to ride). A stent had collapsed. A hurry Angioplasty (they took my levis off on the operating table, but did not cut up my 2002HHH tshirt).

Total count: 3 heart attacks, 1 angiography, 4 Angioplasty, 1 lazier rotor-roter, 6 stents installed (2 dislodged).

AND :beer: I still have 100% heart capacity.

I attribute it to endurance cycling, Modern medicine and GOD (who look after fools and children, and Lord knows I am a foolish child)

Don't you know you're not allowed to have a heart attack without asking?

The official protocol is to post a poll asking:

SHOULD 1OLDROADIE HAVE ANOTHER HEART ATTACK?

The options would be:

NO

DEFINITELY NOT

DON'T DO IT 1OLDROADIE

YES



Of course if anyone chose yes they'd be in big trouble.

Glad to hear you're OK. Good to know that your cycling fitness is helping you to recover.

Glad to hear you're hanging in there Roadie! You sound like you have a great attitude. I believe you are right about how your baseline fitness (as well as the grace of God) has carried you through.

Best regards. Wishing you speedy recovery.

Mary Ann

"Dr says I will regain full capacity of my heart within 6 months"

Great news! I hope the road back is smooth and your recovery is faster than expected.

Hang in there Roadie, we're all with you!

Uhm, Roadie,

This heart attack crapola doesn't get you out
of our HHH challenge, just in case you're wondering.

Get well soon coz I do expect to see you there,
for pasta dinner, and a long slow ride Sat. am

I wish you Godspeed my friend.

Marty

Originally posted by 1oldRoadie
The latest tally>
Total count: 3 heart attacks, 1 angiography, 4 Angioplasty, 1 lazier rotor-roter, 6 stents installed (2 dislodged).

AND :beer: I still have 100% heart capacity.


Glad to hear about the heart capacity! With three events and 6 stents I am very surprised your cardiologist hasn't recommended a bypass though -- especially since you seem to be somewhat resistant to stents (I don't think a 33% failure rate of stents is anywhere near "normal").

If your doc is recommending a bypass and you're avoiding it for whatever reason, I'd strongly recommend you go ahead and have it. I postponed mine for a couple of years from when the doc first recommended it and I really wish now that I hadn't. The pain was nowhere near as bad as I expected and the recovery period was much shorter than I expected. I was home three days after the surgery, driving two weeks after the surgery (wasn't supposed to but needed to), and back at work full time six weeks after the surgery.

As I recall, you're somewhere near your 60's. I think in your shoes I'd rather have a bypass now while I was healthy and reaonably young and strong than wait another ten years and be older and, perhaps, if your stents are closing up and such, in poorer overall condition.

Also, consider the situation if the most recent attack had happened while you were out on a ride, miles from help (especially if alone and unable to summon help). Your heart wouldn't be at 100% any more, because you'd have permanent damage. Dead heart muscle doesn't grow back even after a bypass. (Experience speaking.)

After recovering from a bypass almost all reasonably healthy patients are considered "out of danger" from heart attacks for several years. In my case, for example, my cardiologist says I won't even need a stress test for five years, and has placed no limits on my activities, even though my heart is only at 48% and the whole front wall is dead. By contrast, after my heart attack in '98 and before my bypass in 2001 I had two angioplastys, 3 stents, had a stress test every 6 months, and was told not to do anything that placed a lot of stress or shock across the chest. (Actually, if you're riding hard that might be what's disloding your stents.)

Frankly, with three attacks and six stents, two of them dislodged, if your cardiologist isn't recommending a bypass I think I'd at least seek a second opinion.

John

Three opinions = I'm not a candidate for bypass. Some arteries are in the wrong place to be bypassed. Our goal is to sustain until the body builds enough collateral arteries to do a natural bypass.

Originally posted by 1oldRoadie
Three opinions = I'm not a candidate for bypass. Some arteries are in the wrong place to be bypassed.
Oh, sorry to hear that, though if you are able to grow natural bypasses that is probably a good thing (I'd never heard of that, though).

Have you asked the Doc what he thinks caused the stents to dislodge? You may need to modify your riding style to avoid stress across the chest, if you haven't already.

John