Neil_B

Hi Peter C.,

First of all, congratulations on the good results from the heart exam.

Secondly, you have to get off the coffin nails. Now. Be like my grandfather, who quit cold turkey in 1964 when the Surgeon General's report came out.

Thirdly, do whatever you can to lose weight. If it means you can't ride for a year, then do something else for a year. I doubt a year is how long you'll be off a bike, but still... getting control and not letting obesity control you is the key.

And finally, if you want to talk, PM me. And if you ever find yourself in the greater Philadelphia, PA, area, we'll get together and ride if you like. Bet you can drop me!

Neil B, AKA The Historian

Tom Stormcrowe

Hello, Peter.....


What can you achieve?

This might answer your question:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...75&postcount=1



Note, I'm riding while wearing oxygen, here....

Peter_C

Thank you both for sharing with me! As of yesterday, my blood OX stays above 96 regardless of activity, so that is not an issue. My issue is Pain MGNT and my knees (right knee is very minor - we don't really talk about it much) but my left knee - 15 dislocations, 6 surgeries to date. now severe OA - have been in Pain MGNT for a bit over 7 months and am on 14 different pills right now and am fighting water retention due to zero activity.

My Boss just caved yesterday and told me to gather info about what work I could do from home during my rehab after the surgery. So - the ball may get rolling on the replacement soon - so then no more pain meds, so then rehab, so then (hopefully) exersize, and perhaps then bicycling, and then the desire to quit smoking to get my wind back for better performance on the bike (see my dreaming?)

Neil_B

"May.... perhaps.... then..... hopefully.... perhaps...."

Toss those words out and do it NOW. You are tougher than you ever imagined. Get rid of all those "someday" words and make it happen TODAY.

Tom didn't wait for someday. Neither should you.

Neil_B

I put out the hue and cry for some former uber-clydes to come and post in this thread. Peter C. is a tough one.

andychrist

You have to stop smoking NOW, Peter. Because if you put that off, you'll put off every subsequent step necessary to your recovery. So no excuses. Just DO it.

Lucky for you, cycling is as addictive as smoking.

My three cents.

bautieri

Came to ask this^^

If you still got the LeTour spend your bike budget building up it's wheels and give it hell! That bike will serve you well to this day if you give it the chance (and a tune up).

takingcontrol

OK, sorry for not reading your post earlier but I have a new baby...(Bianchi) so I have been lurking on the CV forum.
First off, you have to quit smoking, I know you hear it all the time and you "know" you need to. You just don't want to, those three good cigarettes (My guess is the morning one and two others sometime during the day) and all the rest you smoke just to be smoking are hard to stop. I know, Ive quit....Twice

Enough on that subject

As for your weight, you have Zero problems,. I started riding at 526lbs and am still 2 lbs shy of 400. I curently ride a KHS urban xpress with double wall 36 spoke Weinmenn rims. The bike, a comfort/hybrid, gives me an upright ride (good because it keeps your knees out of your belly) and has been comfortable on long rides (41 mile is my longest to date). Cost of >$400.00

I am riding in my first metric century this Sunday

There are many bikes that you can choose from at many different $$. The main thing you have to look for is one that you want to ride. It is all about the desire, the way you feel at the end of the ride. You start small (1-2 miles) and you build from that. You post your progress (allot at first) so you can read the praise and encouragement your fellow clydes give (trust me we are a friendly bunch). Soon you are doing longer and longer rides and posting less, you are riding for you after all. Next you find you can do 20 miles with out any strain, then 25, after that it is all really mental. Your body is an amazing machine.
The key is, you have to win the argument with your body. Your brain is in charge (the part that you think with) not your physical desires (the part that wants/craves/needs/must have). You can loose a battle here and there, but You are going to win in the end

So once again, Have fun, good luck, and welcome-TC

Peter_C

Info in no real order:

I kept the Le Tour for 14yrs, and then I gave it away to a kid that would ride it...so I currently have no bike.

As for all the bad/weak words - I am used to things falling apart. I have the heart DR, the Pain Dr, the Knee DR all in line...The Boss - that's another story - reality is what it is - I need my job! Losing a job right now is a bad thing. Not getting the surgery now will also be a bad thing. I tend to believe in stuff when it actually happens, and not until it does - so I tend to say words like may, and should, and hope, and plan, and expect...

As for the smoking - right now, I still enjoy doing so. I believe in quality of life. Losing weight will take away eating habits I enjoy, and PEPSI!!! - so the smoking will have to come at it's own time - that is why I am hoping and praying for the biking! *IF* I have the replacement, *IF* I can start cycling without pain, the bug *WILL* bite again (just like it did 30 yrs ago) - and as the bug bites deeply, and I start to ride more than 100 yards at a time, and start riding more than 10 minutes in a day... it will naturally happen that I will want to quit smoking to build back up my wind again so that I can start doing those 30-75 mile days again...right?

What is in my mind, *IF* this house-of-cards does not fall, is that I will be able to get back onto a bike of some cheap kind, prove to myself and my spouce this is not just a fad, and with time, weight, stamina, health, will all start to improve, than I will move to a better bike, quit smoking, lose more weight, gain more stamina, get away from being borderline heart issue material, borderline diabetic issue material, lose more weight, get more wind, and like a few others on this board, become real people once again. Not in a week, or a month, but maybe in a year or three?

Thoughts anyone?

takingcontrol

Peter, let me be 100% honest, you are either ready to make changes or you are not. I have been in your current mindset many times. There is only one person who is responsible for your health, you.

Now I am not saying you need to go out and purchase the "most/greatest/best" bike ever made, purchase what you can afford. There are many bikes available on CL that will work for you with a minimum amount of change.

My main concern is that you expect to fail, it is blazing out at everyone who reads your post in what you say and the way you say it. This is something that you have to change, or it will become self fulfilling. Remember you are not the first person to overcome obstacles, many others have struggled with there own personal demons. Sometimes you win and sometimes there is a setback, this is life.
The real challenge is to not let the setback to end your struggle. One bad day can lead to one bad week if you let it (I know I have). From the week you can have a bad month..etc. This is how we set ourselves up.

You need to tell yourself everyday, maybe several times a day, what your goals are. Keep a journal, this way you can look back and see your successes. It is amazing how you can have Fifty great things you succeed at and one failure and guess which one you agonize over. That's right, one setback can erode
many great achievements if you let it. Don't let it. You are strong or you wouldn't have made the step to join the forum. You can succeed. I believe that I can honestly say this for everyone on this forum, We want you to succeed, We will help You are not alone in your quest.

Good luck and I wish you the best-TC

BigPolishJimmy

Peter, I suffer from the domino mentality as well. A must happen before B, before C, before D and so on etc. Some things you can't change, but there are 2 things you have in your power to change right now, those are smoking and eating habits. There is no easy way. I quit smoking a bunch of times, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. Once for 6 months, once for a year, i've been smoke free for 12 years now. You have to want it, and we know you do want it, because you came here. Now, drink the kool-aid and join us. It's going to suck some, but we are here every day. We're all in it together.

billyymc

Sure, here's a few thoughts.

This isn't a dream, it's real life.

Stop using "I hope" and "I wish" and use "I will."

Write down short term goals, using "I will." Like, I will get a decent bike (after all, aren't you worth it? -- and I don't mean thousands of $ bike, just a good, solid bike which you can get for $300 or $400 - not much compared to the cost of cigarettes).

Don't write goals that will lead to failure -- "I will be X weight by X date" Instead write goals that are completely within your control. "I will walk for 20 minutes twice a day"

When you start riding, just have the goal of riding, nothing else. "I will ride my bike five days a week" Do that for a month, see how far you're riding, then set another goal for the next month, possibly including distance goals.

Stop thinking that quality of life means cigarettes and overeating. It doesn't. Quality of life will come from all of the things you will be able to do as you get healthy.

This is a multi-year journey. Make it enjoyable.

Peter_C

Set goals huh? I was taught to "plan for the worst, and hope for the best". "If you look for the worst to happen, you will never be surprised". Part of my job, is to create "backup" plans to protect against 'worst-case' issues... see what I am getting at here?

Heh - believe it or not, I really am a glass is half full kind of guy though! I do tend to see the bright side of a issue...usually. I've been talking about all of this with my wife tonight, and one of my biggest issues/concerns is I have not been "pain-free" in THIRTY YEARS! I am being honest here! Sure, if I drank enough, or if I took enough pills, or if I did not move just right... but to do something, walk around, or GET ON A BIKE AND RIDE and be pain free? I can not wrap my head around it at all??! This is not poor pity me, I am speaking english here! I have a very real fear of having this full complete total knee replacement and I still have pain! (I have been told it's not pain free, it's like 80-90% pain free, like a dull-ache - just letting me know it's there working - and I am not worried a bit about that) - I am worried about the stab the hot poker up under the knee-cap so I piss my pants and fall over screaming like a little girl pain (excuse the words - but did I paint a picture?)

If I was making excuses, or unwilling to move ahead, or think on this (I am a great thinker), I would not have ever started this thread. I had very special goals and questions when I first started this thread...

1) AM I too heavy for today's bicycles? - therefore this idea is a waste of time - you all have assured me I am not - thank you greatly!

2) Has anyone had a knee replacement AND been heavy as I AND gotten back on a bicycle sucessfully? - Again -if the answer had been no, possibly a waste of thought and effort - but again, you all have shown me this has and can be done - much to my great excitement!

The rest of my questions were about rough costs, ideas, timing, methodology, etc...

Because of the response from this thread, I actually have started the process in motion. On Monday 09-21-09 I saw my heart DR, had a heart Cath, with the direction towards his blessing on my knee replacement surgery (bariatric surgery is out as my insurance will not cover it, and I do not have the funds), and his blessing on stressful exercise and (hopefully) weight loss. He completely supports it, has signed off on it, the heart should handle it, and will thank me if I do it, and since I have a current issue with too much water around the heart and lower legs he has added 2 new meds to reduce the water, and has limited me to 1500CC of fluid daily (next APPT in 60 days).

Today I have created a list of short-term Goals. Of course, more goals to be created towards the end of these goals.

The long term goals are the replacement knee, get on a bike, get a 'decent' *cheaper* bike, get on the bike every day for an non-specified period of time or distance, get on a stationary bike every work day during my lunch for a non-specified time or distance (assuming I keep my current job), either cut down or stop my Pepsi habit, and "Once I break 25 miles in a single day riding with no great duress, decide what to do with my smoking habit".

[drum-roll]

Get the Ball rolling for the Full left knee replacement Surgery. - STARTED
A) Get a Letter from Dr. Gross (heart) agreeing to this Surgery
B) Get a Letter from Dr. Zacour (PSP) agreeing to this Surgery.
C) Get a Letter from Dr. Lewis (Pain MGNT) Agreeing to this Surgery.
D) Set the Pre-OP Conference APPT with Dr. Chonko (Orthopod) to discuss and set a date for full knee replacement surgery.
E) Make work aware of the date of the Pre-OP Conference APPT, and then the date of the surgery, and spend time training replacements for me.
F) Line up PT Specialist that will focus on cycle work. Already have key for work-out room at work that has stationary bike that will fit me (I sold it to work)
G) Gather Equipment needed during rehab - walker, cane, rollator (if needed - post-op knee brace, heating pad, ice bag, extra pillows). - DONE

See if my Employer will either allow me to keep my job, or, allow me to work from home at a reduced income during my rehab. - STARTED
A) Email my Employer outlining what is needed, what will be gained by doing this (towards long-term stability) listing what I can do from home if allowed. - DONE

Get Surgery date set prior to 11-30-09, sooner is better.

Get weight below 360LBS prior to surgery date. Today's weight is 379.

Get Pepsi count below 3 per day prior to surgery date - no exceptions - half cans count as whole canes.

Create plan with Pain MGNT team prior to surgery date to lower morphine levels as fast as practicable, amount to be set by team, that said, my desire is to be under 90mg within 2 weeks of surgery date.

Meet and create new goals within 10 days or surgery date.

takingcontrol

Very nice on the goals Peter. I wish you the best of luck with your journey and cant wait to hear more.

billyymc

Peter - I think you're moving in the right direction. Goal 1 accomplished - doing something! Keep setting those little goals, making sure they are within your power to accomplish. Then set the bar a bit higher.

I doubt any of this will be pain free. But some of the pain will be the good kind. If you don't know what that is, you will understand eventually, after you've been at this for a while.

You might enjoy reading through this website: https://www.everydaysystems.com/

It looks pretty plain, but this guy is a good writer, has a funny sense of humor, seems like a bright guy -- and best of all, his "No-S Diet" worked for him and apparently works for others too. There's NO cost. Yep, it's free. He did get a book deal, but that was after all this stuff was out there for free first. I do his "shovelglove" workout. He really emphasizes establishing the habit -- whatever habit it is that you want to establish. Note too - that his workout is 14 minutes a day, plus walking. Anyway...poke around there. It's a fun read, intersting, and you might find some stuff that works for you.

The folks here in the Clyde/Athena forum are great, and as you've seen some have walked in your shoes.

Do not plan for the worst in this. Plan for the best, and if those plans get derailed (haha) then put the chain back on, revise your plans, and keep moving forward. No plans ever go perfectly -- but success is how you deal with the setbacks, not how perfect your original plan is executed.

Neil_B

Hi Peter,

Here's my story of how I decided to make a change. And it's all due to one breath.

December 2005 I entered the emergency room of my local hospital with very mild chest pains. I was admitted to the cardiac center. The nurse tested my resparation, found the O2 content of my breath lower than normal, and told me I was going to be put on oxygen. At that moment I saw my future if I didn't make changes. Being connected to machines, being immobile, watching life go by me.... I asked to be tested again. And somehow, some way, I found it in me to get my O2 level high enough so I wasn't on oxygen.

Sooner or later you are going to say "Enough" and make changes. I spent years getting to 400 pounds and pretending I had a pretty good quality of life. I had a lousy life, but like most severely obese people, I lived in denial. But it took one more indignity, one more sign that my quality of life was miserable, to push me to me make changes. And then, once I knew I had to make changes, it was a matter of taking a breath. Once I took that, all the other changes became less challenging.

Only you know if you are ready to do what you need to do, Peter. I think you should take a deep breath, and begin.

w00die

Glad to see others chimed in here. There are a bunch of good folks here that love to encourage and see you succeed. They motivated me into riding and changing my life. I hope that the stars will align for you to be able to get your surgery and not have to worry about loosing your job. I will put a request in to the "upper management" tonight before I sleep and see if that helps any. I have been watching Craigslist as I said I would and here are a couple bikes as examples of the price and type of bike that might fit your requirements when the time comes. These were both listed on the same day so you can see that finding a decent used bike when you are ready shouldn't be an issue. I have seen 12-18 that would fit the bill in the past week here in Columbus, so finding a bike should be no worries when you are ready.

These two are mountain bikes, they would obviously only be an option if they were the right size for you. With a mountain bike or even hybred, many here (myself included), switched the knobby tires out for a smoother tread making the bike ride better on pavement and is an inexpensive "upgrade".

https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/bik/1387271359.html

https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/bik/1387473034.html

wastan

I've taken up riding for health reasons too. I got a Schwinn Mesa (XL frame); some grief from a LBS aside, it's done what I needed--get me outside and working. When I can afford it and prove to myself I'll ride it, I'll upgrade. The important thing is to be safe (have a mechanic look at anything you buy) and get moving rather than dwell too much on getting the "best" bike.

Peter_C

If i did that in trucking ( I deal with Forture 100 customers) I'd be fired the first time the plan was not

But ya! I get you! Different methods for different *jobs*, right? My problem, I have been solely focused in one industry for 19+ years, first as a driver, and now as a CSR, trust me, doing it right, the FIRST time, EVERY time, is the ONLY way to do it. it is never "the thought the counts in my world...

So ya, it tends to bleed over a little bit into my personal life. Just ask Cindy how often we end up at the movies 30 minutes too early because I fear arriving too late! She is never amused!

Peter_C

Woodie and Wastan - thanks for the words and the kind help and links (and a kind note to the Boss is ever helpful!!)

If I can swing it somehow, I hope to go new in the $300-$400 range. If I can't do that, then plan "C" it is (for C-list in Akron) as surgery is first, and the nike will be in my garage one way or the other before my rehab is over!

Believe it or not, I have been thinking and missing my Le Tour (1979 model to be exact) here is a photo I found on the web - not of mine, but of that year's model. Mine was Blue, had these very light plastic/chrome fenders (was from Portland, Or after all) had a pump, a bottle, a seat bag, a bar bag (all bags were red), had a rear paneer mount with red paneers (did i say I was into touring? or was learning/ getting into touring). The bike fully loaded with my "day" gear including 2 spare tubes, one spare tire, full water bottle, tools, pump, lock&cable,raingear, change of sweats, and some munchies was 37.7lbs, and I was 6'1" at 198lbs, and my home (living with my folks) to MT Hood CC was 17.2 miles one way with a 940FT elevation change from point A to point B - woke me up going to classes, and was quite fun coming home from classes...wheee... Of course, for the life of me, I can't remeber the size of the bike..oh well

John Bailey

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Believe it or not, I have been thinking and missing my Le Tour (1979 model to be exact) here is a photo I found on the web - not of mine, but of that year's model. Mine was Blue, had these very light plastic/chrome fenders (was from Portland, Or after all) had a pump, a bottle, a seat bag, a bar bag (all bags were red), had a rear paneer mount with red paneers (did i say I was into touring? or was learning/ getting into touring). The bike fully loaded with my "day" gear including 2 spare tubes, one spare tire, full water bottle, tools, pump, lock&cable,raingear, change of sweats, and some munchies was 37.7lbs, and I was 6'1" at 198lbs, and my home (living with my folks) to MT Hood CC was 17.2 miles one way with a 940FT elevation change from point A to point B - woke me up going to classes, and was quite fun coming home from classes...wheee... Of course, for the life of me, I can't remeber the size of the bike..oh well

There's the vision right there Peter. You've just described your ultimate goal. If I were you, I'd go out and buy a cheap bike right now. Three years ago I bought a $50 Trek 820. Put a couple of new tires on it and rode the hell out of it. You should keep the vision of you on that Le Tour in your mind constantly.

And by the way, you'll find out that the only quality of life smoking and drinking 3 Pepsi's a day will bring you is "poor" quality of life.

John

txvintage

Hi again Peter,

I really do have some positive results on dealing with constant pain to share. I have just returned to work this week after a 5 week period. (see avatar) and heading to Physical Terrorpy right after work. It works out to about a 12 hr day with trafic and commute time. I hope to get some time today, but if not I will post this evening. No PT today, woohoo!

flattie

Remember as with many things we encounter in life - the mental aspect is many times more challenging than the physical.

I can relate to the smoking part. I smoked for around 20 years around a pack a day. I justified it by saying that I enjoyed it and something else could kill me so why not? And while there is a definite physical addiction to smoking in my opinion the mental aspect is the big challenge.

For me it took seeing my friend and co-worker lying in bed at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before the surgery to remove the tumor in his brain. The look of fear on his face will remain with me for a long time. The absolute pain and anguish on the faces of his wife, 12 yr old daughter and 8 yr old son at his funeral were even worse.

I quit cold turkey the same day I visited Kevin in the hospital - 11 months before he died 2 days after Christmas from lung cancer at 46 yrs old. His kids will have that memory of what should be a happy holiday with them for a long time.

The mental aspects of saying, "I don't need this" fighting with the physical urges was a tough battle but one that made the victory of being able to say I'm smoke free since January 2007 a meaningful one.

I would tell you to tackle the toughest hurdle first - the smoking. It will give you the confidence to take on the other one's. Besides - there is no physical pain in quitting smoking - putting down the lighter and the pack won't cause shooting pain through your knee - so you eliminate that excuse for putting it off right away. Shoot for quitting before your surgery - it will make your recovery go much faster. As an added bonus take the money you would have spent each day on cigs and put it aside. By the time your rehab is done and you're ready for a bike you'll have a nice chunk of change saved up for incidentals like bike shorts, pump, tubes, lights etc.

ecovelo

I needed to (hear) read this.... Thank you to Peter who started this thread, and to all those who have contributed. I was gonna pick out all the meaningful quotes I've read on this thread alone... but it would take a great deal of time and I need to get rest to fit in a ride tomorrow!

prxmid

It looks like that if you were looking for someone to commiserate with and share your doubt, you came to the wrong place.

Clearly it's doable and will be hard. You should be driven more by the fear of NOT doing it.

A likely short, immobile, painful life