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Daily Archives: June 1, 2011
The Plan
One of my riding cohorts, a friend from way back in High School, asked about the plan to get myself back to health, what is my diversion (this bLog is my diversion!), and what about the bike? I am happy to report, I do have a plan. I want to begin that plan. Must begin that plan.
Here is the “plan” for recovery:
- May 31 – remove catheter, re-learn bladder control, light exercise/walking, no heavy lifting
- June 07 – commence driving, continue exercise with lifting restrictions
- June 20 – PSA test
- June 28 – visit Dr Chan for review – permission to ride my bike
IF everything goes as planned, I will be riding again by month end (June 28). Endorphins await!
Oh sure, there is more to it than what I have written here. Good sleep, eat loads of veggies and not much meat, drink plenty of fluids, and try to follow doctor’s orders. Other than that, I’m just taking it easy and allowing my body to heal….and that takes time.
The View from my chair
Jessie surveys her kingdom
I’m sitting out on the back patio watching my cat do what it is she does. And it struck me; we have a nice looking backyard!
UPDATE: 11:25 am. Rain. It is June 1st and raining. Hard!
Weird weather.
#2 UPDATE: 3:25 pm. Lightning, thunder, and more rain. It is pouring!
Long walk; thwarted.
I got cleared yesterday for “normal” activities. No heavy lifting or hard efforts, no bicycle riding, and I still can’t drive. But I could go about my business and finally move around without that crazy bag attached at the bladder. YAY!
So the plan today was to walk. The PLAN was to walk for about an hour then come home to rest up for another walk a little later in the day. Oh, how WRONG could I be??
I slipped on my walking shoes for the first time since May 19th, and they felt goooood. Adjust the tongue, tighten the laces, and I am SO outta here. The door closes behind me and it is one foot in front of the other….for about 20 yards. That’s when I noticed a little hitch in my get-along.
“Ah, it’ll work itself out” I think. And it does. Or does it?
Clouds are piled high in the sky and I’m thinking the weather-guessers are going to earn their pay for today’s forecast. Rain in the afternoon might actually come true. Good for them.
The road stretches out in front of me and I am well on my way past the first ten minutes of walking. Man, this feels great! I’m off work, getting healthy, and going for a walk. It couldn’t get better than this, could it?
Nope, it gets worse….almost immediately.
I’m taking an antibiotic called Cipro. That’s short for Ciprofloxacin. In spite of it being an awesome, top-of-the-chart antibiotic, it has a myriad of side effects. As far as I am concerned the worst of the side effects is: diarrhea. Ugh. Miserable.
So I’m walking like a man recently freed from prison, stepping out like the cares of my world have been lifted, and I am seriously enjoying the outdoor life, and the stomach cramp hits me like a punch in the gut. Knowing it takes a few minutes to become all-encompassing, I look around and note I am exactly half-way from home. The walk has taken me twelve minutes to get where I am right now, and I have maybe five minutes before the dreaded Cipro side-effect reaches critical mass. 5 minutes before I crap my pants!
Now I am walking like a man with a mission. A guy with someplace to go. The pace has lifted. Each step is now a challenge to go bigger, go faster, and do not stop. I’m making great progress and now tighten up the backend for the finish. Almost home. Keys are in hand. Jacket is off.
And I made it….hooray! You didn’t actually think I was going to entertain you with a story about me crapping my pants, did you? Not this time!
Since the Cipro tablet of this morning was the final pill in the bottle, I am done with it and this serious side effect.
Oh sure, I’ll walk again sometime real soon. It will most certainly last about an hour and I will thoroughly enjoy it. Can’t wait.
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