The bad news
 

Splattering Mrs. Grouch with mud wasn't the worst thing that happened to us Saturday.

Shortly after the photo was taken I was having some difficulty and eventually felt a slight pain (1 on a 10 scale), about the size of my fist, right under my breast bone. We stopped and rested and some folks gave me a low dose aspirin that seemed to help. I managed to ride another 7 or 8 miles to Rocheport where we begged a ride back to Columbia to retrieve our car. I'm still coming to grips with the incident. I want to change doctors so now I have to find a new doctor who will see me this week. I have 2 months of vacation after tomorrow that I don't want to waste but Mrs. Grouch won't let me ride by myself until I get cleared by the doctor. I hate it when she's right.

As an interesting aside, the stranger who drove me back to Columbia wouldn't accept anything in exchange for the favor. Not even gas money. Since she operates a wine tasteing restaurant I suggested to my wife that we pay to have my sister-in-law, who operates a winery, send her a couple of bottles. The sister-in-law is all for sending the wine, but she won't accept any money either. Sometimes repaying a favor is hard to do.

We'll see how it goes. We have planned a bicycling vacation in Door County, Wisconsin for later this month. Unless something comes up we're still planning to go, but will probably limit our bicycling to short rides.

Good move getting it checked out. Wives are Wise.

Hoping for good news.

Uh - "Check out" is a bad choice of words in this context.

Last week we rode 26 miles and I was so tired afterward I had Mrs. Grouch drive us home. I should have scheduled the check-over thing then. I guess it takes a couple of incidents for us slow learners.

Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for you.

....but not while I'm riding

Checkout Time by Nick Lowe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLYmCwhWm3U

Get things checked out but don't check out.

Hoping and keeping you in my prayers for everything to turn out okay. Please be careful and keep us posted on how you are doing.

Bill

Here's hoping it's some obscure not-very-serious malady. If not, here's hoping it's some easily fixed (or managed) problem...

After a wreck...I hauled my rear to the doc to X-ray the ribs and he also X-rayed my pelvis. I asked why and he smiled..."just checking". Same Doc told me that running the heart rate to 170 was "not really advised"...30 secs max at 100% (162)..."oh". Dodged a bullet there but my wife says I need to take it down a slight notch as at 58...the bullets are bigger... Hope things checkout.

ps...I suffered arrhythmia for years but good diet and cardio exercise halted it but just because I halted it doesn't mean I'm superman.

hang in there
 

after 2 heart attacks and 3 mild strokes still cycling so take a rest, cycling saved my life i was in good shape according to doctor. trying is to fail,:) doing is positive stay strong and focus be wellhttp://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

That's comforting to hear.

I don't want to give up cycling but the last few years hasn't been very much fun. I'd like to get back to what it was 4 years ago.

Like someone else posted, meant to Check Out the possible problem not for you to Checkout. Former Good; Later Bad.

Bests.

Well.....you will probably be better than four years ago. No matter what happens you'll get your head around it and overcome.

I had a heart attack in November 2000 riding up the bluffs over in Pere Marquette State Park just across the Mississippi River over in Illinois. Since then I've done 4 double-centuries; numerous centuries; ridden the KATY from end-to-end twice (and doing it again next month); and even taken up walking half-marathons. In some respects I'm doing more now than before the heart attack.

Another encouraging comment. Seeing the doctor tomorrow.

Sometimes the best way to repay a favor is to pass it on to another person in need.

Stories like JerrySTL's abound. We are all rooting for you, Mr. Grouch!

Another one for you... heart attack in 1997. Since then, well, I've done a lot of riding, including commuting (didn't own a car for 11 years), randonneuring and touring.

It may be "just" angina, but regular heart check-ups every couple of years are, in my opinion, much, much more important than colonoscopies.

It's interesting seeing how my mental state is coming around. A couple of days ago I was so depressed I didn't want to talk about it. Now I'm happier than I've been for a long time. I've been tiring so easily for a long time that bicycling hasn't been very much fun. I'm thinking that now I have a plan that has a chance of working. I'm looking forward to finding out how badly the plumbing is clogged up. Hoping it's not too bad to fix with the scope.

We have a Door County, Wisconsin cycling vacation scheduled for June 26. Hopefully, by the end of the week we'll know if that's possible. Shortening the days and maybe skipping a ride or two wouldn't bother me. We'll see what the doctor says.

RG,
I'm just happy that you are back here and are overcoming your fears and that the doctors can clear things up for you. You have come along way from your days that the riding was not something you wanted to even think about doing after you got injured. This is much better for you to discuss and get back in the groove with your riding. Best wishes and hopes for your doctor's visit.

Bill

Whatever the result of the tests, the outcome is going to be good because you're reacting to the pain symptom, and putting that together with the tiredness.

You've fought through lots of adversity these past few years. Hopefully this is just one final hump to push over until the better days which lie ahead.
Wishing you the best.

Looking forward to you're post about the visit,the suspense is hard on all of us.I think he will order tests that will prolong the outcome.Hurry up and wait All the Best Mike

Prayers from Illinois, Mr Grouch!

So the people who were concerned and savvy enough to give you some aspirin didn't suggest it was a bad idea to keep exercising if the suspicion was some sort of cardiac issue with chest pain?

But good luck and hope the ticker doesn't interfere with your fun!