Fifty Plus (50+) - Back on the bike after 5 bypasses

Yesterday was the first century ride I did since I had 5 Bypasses done on March 31st. I had stayed in good shape my whole life and have been married to a dietitian for 34 years so my diet not terrific has been monitored for many years. When I asked my doctor why I had clogged arteries he told me bad genes! Like I said I had stayed in pretty good shape over the years and had ridden 6000 miles the year before the surgery and about 5 or 6 centuries within the past year before the surgery. When my doctor looked at the pictures of my heart after cardiac cath. I was told my heart had an excellent blood flow due to my diligence for exercise. I started back on the bike 8 weeks after surgery. Yesterday I rode in a group of about 50 people around Lake Okeechobee in Florida with 99 percent humidity and temps around the mid 90's. The ride was actually 115 and I made it feeling kind of beat up after, but finished with the first group. I am curious if any one else has had this surgery, because I would be curious to know how they are doing and if they would have any questions for me. most people I know who had this surgery were not exercising as heavily as I had been or are dead now.

Wow, good for you. Due to your genetics, your biking and dietary habits probably stopped you from having this problem years ago, or from dropping dead. 5 bypasses, wow. I've never had one, and I hope I never do. Glad you were able to ride yesterday. I live in Pembroke Pines and it was a hot and humid day everywhere down here yesterday.

Hey, I had four bypasses in Oct of 2008 and was back on the bike within 10 weeks - I'll be 70 in January. I continued to ride the road 15 to 20 miles per day until I was hit by a car last December. I've been off the bike by choice, but am going to get a mountain bike and ride on our farm instead of the roads. I am asymptomatic and will have a two year followup with a PET scan in the coming months. Continued good health; there is life after bypasses, but stay vigilant!

Bill

Triple bypass in 1999. That was 9 years after I started riding and at the time of the initial problem I was probably the fittest I had been for years. I was in training for a 100 mile offroad at the time and Sunday did an offroad Metric and had to keep waiting for my "Fit" co-rider. Wednesday morning and the Pain started so phone for an ambulance and 3 months later the triple.

Had an angiogram and the doctor asked me "Swimming or cycling"? apparantly the Aorta was clear as a bell and he has only seen that in swimmers and cyclist's.

12 weeks after surgery I had a ride planned. A hilly 40 miler and I asked the Surgeon if it would be OK. He did not know as he had never had anyone want to mess up his good work that soon. So it was suck and see time. All I know is that if I had known how hard the 40 miler was going to be- I would have trained harder.

No reason for the blocked arteries- except that none of the males on my paternal side have ever got past 60. My father got to 55 before cancer got him but 3 uncles-grandfather and 4 cousins have all died of heart problems. There only me and my cousin Billy left and he has had a stent fitted. Modern medicine is wonderfull.