Homeyba

Looking great Neil. Your journey kind of reminds me of an ultra-distance race. It's a long road filled with big highs when you're feeling great and can conquer anything followed by big lows when you think it can't get any worse but you keep going anyway. In the end you get there and think back with safisfaction about those highs and lows and all the achievments you've made. I know this journy isn't over for you but it will be and I think I can be pretty confident in saying that in the end it will not be a bad feeling. Can't wait to look you in the eyes in a couple months! BTW, all I have are XL jerseys. Do you still want one?

Neil_B

Thanks. You summed it up very well. I was very low most of the last quarter of 2011. And I have had ups and downs even in recovery. Getting a PE was a down, as is remaining on Coumadin for another 5 months. But I give it my all, which is all I can give anyway. And I know I'll get to the point I'll have more "all" to give. By any objective standard when you rode with me in Ohio you were riding with a pretty terrible imitation of a cyclist. But even though we both knew that fact, I gave everything I had because I was racing a RAAM rider. That might be as close as I ever get to RAAM, but to me, I was there.

Will an XL fit someone 240 pounds? I will be 240 again. A little taller than before, but otherwise I'll look like this when I'm back in racing weight:





If not, I understand. I'd like to belong to a team. Between the weight and the limitations caused by the structural problems I've felt very isolated in the cycling world.

Homeyba

It fit me when I was 240. A little tight but fit. I'll bring one. If nothing else it'll give you a goal to go after when you get back on the bike. We'd love to have you as part of the team!

Neil_B

Deal. I'll fit into it. Perhaps not by June, but I will.

Neil_B

Physical therapy was easier today, although I still screamed during the manual stretching of my left hamstring. The therapist places one hand above the knee, and one below. He presses down, I press up using the quad muscle, and on his command I relax while he continues to press down. He then holds for a count of five or six while my eyes bug out, I grasp the edges of the exercise table, and, at the end, scream. (Note this requires me to work with the therapist, so taking a drug that makes me sleep renders the stretching useless.)

That said, I got to 8 extension on my own, and between 5 and 4 with pressure. This is slow progress, but it's the only kind I'll make. The hamstring has been contracted for decades. It's not going to stretch out overnight. Its like trying to stretch out a thick leather belt. Except the belt wants to contract back when you've finished stretching it.

And its surprising just how important it is for us to get closer to zero on the left leg. My gait has an odd side to side sway. That's because the left leg isn't fully extending when I walk. My balance is being impacted. And when I get the bikes refitted it will cause a problem since the left leg will be functionally shorter.

Neil_B

Surgeon says everything looks good so far with my knee replacements. Range of motion is excellent, nerve healing is progressing, and I don't appear to have problems aside from my INR levels, which aren't related to the knees. He says I can return to my job full time in six weeks and I can go back possibly sooner if they will allow me to work half-days. Also, I'm OK to start a weight loss routine - admittedly that's mainly diet for now, but eventually exercise will be part of it.

Neil_B

Gotta get well so I can stop wasting time on the Internet.....

Tom Stormcrowe

Looks like I wasn't terribly far off on my estimated RTW time for you.

Neil_B

No, you were close, and perhaps on the ball if I can work half days. Gonna break the bad news to my boss tomorrow....

contango 

Great news Neil... hopefully you'll be fully back in action before too long!

Neil_B

Having a bad day today. I don't know if it's from the increase in Coumadin but I'm sluggish and depressed.

contango 

Not every day is a good one... some days you feel like you can conquer anything and other days it's a battle just to do anything at all. I get those days too and I haven't been through major surgery.

Two steps forward, one step back. It doesn't seem so great when you take the step back but focus on the multiple steps forward and where you are now compared to even a couple of weeks ago.

Neil_B

My 'public' return to riding might be the CASA ride in Shepardstown, WV May 19. I need to be able to ride my bike, and drive three hours. I want to do it, if only because I've paid the entry fee and I want my t shirt, but I wonder if it's too much too soon.

Rowan

Is the t-shirt dependent on you finishing, or do you get it at the start?

It is not unusual for people to turn up, ride a little bit, then pack it away for the day on events like this. It even has happened on the Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 randonnee, because the participants wanted to "experience the atmosphere".

I'm not suggesting you would cheat in doing this, either. Not at all. But it might be a gauge for you to see how far you can ride. It might only be 5 miles or even less. But at least you could say you have given it a try, and the adventure at that stage of your recovery would be worth the entry fee.

The driving bit might be a worry, only because of the clotting issue. But if you leave early enough, you can plan for three or four breaks to stop, get out, walk around and exercise the calf muscles in particular to get the blood back up from your legs (to overcome the pooling effect -- the veins have no valves like the arteries and this is what puts at risk people with a predisposition to leg clots). The calf muscles, I understand, play a very important role in moving the blood through the veins.

You might reference Retro Grouch's threads in the 50+ forum, on his attempted return to riding after breaking his hip in a bike fall; they may help you get a clue as to what you might face in getting on the bike, both physically and emotionally. It's worth reading. I have a lot of time for Retro Grouch for one reason or another, and he has worked his way through the issues to gradually increase his riding distances.

Neil_B

I'd registered for this ride back in January, when I assumed I'd be operated on late that month. (I had a dental problem that caused a six week delay.) So everything is paid for, except lodging. (I was going to camp, but I think that's probably a poor choice now.) I'd get the t shirt for showing up.

Here is the ride information:

https://www.casarivercentury.org/Course/OffRoad.aspx

The 'off-road' course uses the C & O Canal Towpath, and has an aid station at the five mile mark. The towpath surface is usually pretty good here, and Canal Road runs alongside. Elevation change is negligible. And I've ridden this section four times since 2008. I can do this. Even if I ride the five miles and get SAGGED from there.

Taking breaks during driving shouldn't be a problem. Put a camera in my hands and the world comes to a stop. I'm concerned about fatigue, so I might need to make this a weekend trip - drive down Friday, ride Saturday, drive back Sunday.

On your recommendation, I looked up Retro Grouch and I've read some recent threads about his comeback. The fear he describes is both real and common for people who have joint replacements. My recovery won't be complete until I forget that I have metal and plastic in place of bone. Eventually I'll get there, but for now I'm thinking about every step, and because the soft tissues are healing I'm aware I have plates and implants sliding over each other whenever I move my knees. But I will get there.

Peter_C

I know that when I had my knee replaced (first replacement), I had a very real 'problem' with having a 'fake joint'. it was a constant thought in my head, mentally thinking about all the cheap plastic parts I have seen that have weathered badly, or warped, etc... It was easily a few months before it was not daily in my thoughts, and about 8 months before I decided I could *count* on my left leg. Fast forward to today - it is not even an issue, I do not think about it, other than to be pleased and thankful for 'frank', my new bullet-proof knee (tis how I think of it).

When I had my right hip replaced last June (second joint replacement), it was not a real fear/worry so much as more a case of me wondering if it would work out as well as my knee did? The verdict is still out, as I have strong random pain from time-to-time, but again, it's only been 10 months.

Based on my experience, I would both do it over again, and I can not wait to get my right knee replaced. My days of kneeling on them are over - but my life as a rider is continuing to get better and better every ride.

The 'mechanical' noise/feeling doesn't help, but believe it or not, most of the time I no longer even notice it.

Peter_C

Of course, what your Doctors say has a big impact here, and one of the issues for "too soon" may be the risk of a fall. With so much work being done, it just takes time for everything to heal completely. Generally longer than it does for you to master the use and exercise of the new joints.

Something to consider? Is it possible to *borrow* a trike from a friend for a month or two? I know you do not (at this time) want to buy one, but a trike would reduce greatly the possible risk of a fall, at least until you heal completely?

jr59

Go Neil.

If just for 2-3 miles. Big group rides are fun, if for nothing else jusy the people who love bikes and the outdoors.

Neil_B

My physical terrorist, err, therapist, suggested I resume short rides outside next week.

Neil_B

Ask Sayre Kulp what happens when you take a trike on the C & O Canal Towpath. :-)

Neil_B

We reached a 5 extension in PT today without overpressure. No screaming. Now getting to zero will be work, but still, I can do it.

tergal

haha , sucks for you if he reads this forum and decides to get a even

Neil_B

Nah, we hit it off well. And my progress has been very good. Despite the close call with the PE ( if it remained untreated I had a one in four chance of going home in a pine box) I've been very fortunate throughout this process, from a good choice of surgeon, to excellent therapists in recovery. I consider myself a very lucky man, not least of all for the support I've received from Bike Forums posters. That includes a couple of Australians, you and Rowan. Thank you both.

Sayre Kulp 

Probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't rigged the seat posts in such a stupid fashion. But what can I say? What's done is done.

Neil_B

I had in mind the seasickness.